William the Silent or William the Taciturn (Dutch: Willem de Zwijger; 24 April 1533 – 10 July 1584), more commonly known in the Netherlands as William of Orange (Dutch: Willem van Oranje), was the leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs that set off the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. Born into the House of Nassau, he became Prince of Orange in 1544 and is thereby the founder of the Orange-Nassau branch and the ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands.
Prince William I of Orange welcomed in Amsterdam
William the Silent or William the Taciturn (Dutch: Willem de Zwijger; 24 April 1533 – 10 July 1584), more commonly known in the Netherlands as William of Orange (Dutch: Willem van Oranje), was the...
Key People
Events Before
English navigator Francis Drake lands on the coast of California at what becomes known as Drakes Bay, for ship repairs;
English navigator Francis Drake lands on the coast of California at what becomes known as Drakes Bay, for ship repairs; claims area on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, and names it "Nova Albion" [1] [2]
Northern Hasburg Netherlands counties of Artois and Hainault and city Dowaai sign pro-Spanish and pro-Roman Catholic Uni
Northern Hasburg Netherlands counties of Artois and Hainault and city Dowaai sign pro-Spanish and pro-Roman Catholic Union of Arras (Unie van Atrecht)
Union of Utrecht signed by Northern Habsburg counties of Holland and Zeeland, and provinces of Utrecht and Groningen, ma
Union of Utrecht signed by Northern Habsburg counties of Holland and Zeeland, and provinces of Utrecht and Groningen, marking the beginning of protestant Dutch Republic
Betuwe joins the Union of Utrecht
Betuwe joins the Union of Utrecht
Veluwe joins the Union of Utrecht
The Union of Utrecht (Dutch: Unie van Utrecht) was an alliance based on an agreement concluded on 23 January 1579 between a number of Dutch provinces and cities, to reach a joint commitment against...
Events After
Francis Drake is knighted by Queen Elizabeth I aboard his galleon, the "Golden Hind" at Deptford, England
Sir Francis Drake (1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer and privateer best known for making the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (being the…
The first ballet "Ballet Comique de la Reine," commissioned by Catherine de Medici, is staged in Paris
Ballet is a formalized italian dance form with its origins in the Italian Renaissance courts of 15th and 16th centuries.
English Parliament passes laws restricting Catholicism
English Parliament passes laws restricting Catholicism
English Jesuit priest Edmund Campion arrested for sedition in Anglican England (later hung, drawn and quartered)
English Jesuit priest Edmund Campion arrested for sedition in Anglican England (later hung, drawn and quartered)
Leiden University names Rudolph Snellius as math professor
Leiden University names Rudolph Snellius as math professor
More from the 1580s
Queen Elizabeth I of England signs the death warrant for her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication on 24 July 1567. The…
Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle at age 44 after being convicted of plotting to assassinate Eliz
Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle at age 44 after being convicted of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth I in the Babington Plot
Pope Gregory XIII announces the New Style calendar, commonly known as the Gregorian calendar
The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception).
Francis Drake is knighted by Queen Elizabeth I aboard his galleon, the "Golden Hind" at Deptford, England
Sir Francis Drake (1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer and privateer best known for making the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (being the…
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on March 17, 1580?
- William the Silent or William the Taciturn (Dutch: Willem de Zwijger; 24 April 1533 – 10 July 1584), more commonly known in the Netherlands as William of Orange (Dutch: Willem van Oranje), was the leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs that set off the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. Born into the House of Nassau, he became Prince of Orange in 1544 and is thereby the founder of the Orange-Nassau branch and the ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands.
- Why is Prince William I of Orange welcomed in Amsterdam historically important?
- Born into the House of Nassau, he became Prince of Orange in 1544 and is thereby the founder of the Orange-Nassau branch and the ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands.
- Who was involved in Prince William I of Orange welcomed in Amsterdam?
- Key figures include William I of Orange (statesman and revolt leader).